Tebow time

Sports | Focus on the Family Super Bowl ad has NFL and networks on its side | Megan Basham

Associated Press/Photo by Phil Sandlin

CBS faced a storm of controversy after announcing it had sold Super Bowl ad time to the Christian organization Focus on the Family. Though Focus has not released details of the ad, it has confirmed it will tell the story of Pam Tebow and her Heisman trophy-winning son, Tim. A pregnant Pam rejected the advice of doctors that her son would likely be stillborn, and she gave birth to a healthy boy who went on to lead the Florida Gators to the national championship in 2008 and is projected to be a top NFL draft pick next spring. Focus says the theme of the spot, which reportedly cost $2.5 million to $2.8 million, is "Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life."

Some groups contest that Focus' description is really a smokescreen for a commercial that will advocate an anti-abortion view. While the largest of these groups, the National Organization for Women (NOW), admits that no one at its organization has seen the ad or a script for it, a message on its website calls it "offensive," "revolting," and claims it will send the message that "all women who give birth are heroes" and "abortion is always a mistake." Along with 30 other pro-abortion groups, NOW is petitioning CBS to "immediately cancel this ad and refuse any other advertisement promoting Focus on the Family's agenda."